


we found a message in a bottle we were drinking

by cheschi



Category: The Society (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst and Humor, Attempt at Humor, F/M, Harry is a Little Shit, Light Angst, Pre-Canon, Teenage Dorks, Textfic, ish, what really went down at yale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:54:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24732682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheschi/pseuds/cheschi
Summary: From: Yale Office of AdmissionsTo: Cassandra PressmanSubject: Class of 2023 Admit WeekendDear Cassandra,We are pleased to hear that you will be joining us for Admit Weekend 2018. The purpose of this weekend is to enable admitted students and their parents to see what Yale has to offer so they can make a sound decision about which college to attend. To serve this goal, we seek to create an inclusive and informative atmosphere for the weekend.Throughout the weekend, you will be able to interact with your fellow Class of 2023 peers, hear from current Yale undergraduates, and interact with several of our distinguished faculty and alumni. This is an exciting opportunity for you to know more about the place you may choose to attend for the next four years and understand why this community has chosen Yale.Texts leading up to Yale Admit Weekend 2019 and everything in between
Relationships: Harry Bingham/Cassandra Pressman
Comments: 10
Kudos: 37





	we found a message in a bottle we were drinking

**Author's Note:**

> title from love on the weekend by john mayer which is pretty self-explanatory
> 
> pls i'm so RUSTY but i needed practice
> 
> i don't even think clark and harry are friends but i honestly couldn't think of characters he IS friends with so for the sake of this fic we're just going to assume they're buddies ok

_From: Yale University Office of Admissions <undergradadmissions@yale.edu>_

_To: Cassandra Pressman <cspressman@gmail.com>_

_Subject: Class of 2023 Admit Weekend_

Dear Cassandra,

We are pleased to hear that you will be joining us for Admit Weekend 2018. The purpose of this weekend is to enable admitted students and their parents to see what Yale has to offer so they can make a sound decision about which college to attend. To serve this goal, we seek to create an inclusive and informative atmosphere for the weekend.

Throughout the weekend, you will be able to interact with your fellow Class of 2023 peers, hear from current Yale undergraduates, and interact with several of our distinguished faculty and alumni. This is an exciting opportunity for you to know more about the place you may choose to attend for the next four years and understand why this community has chosen Yale.

To complete your registration, kindly click this link and complete the form by no later than March 30. Should you have any questions, please feel free to email or call the Office of Admissions during the stipulated office hours.

Congratulations again on your acceptance and we look forward to seeing you in New Haven next month.

Regards,

Dean of Admissions  
Office of Undergraduate Admissions

* * *

3:23 PM

From Mom: So April 21-23 huh?

3:24 PM

From Cassandra: Yup, I’ll send my flight details once I’ve booked it

3:24 PM

From Mom: I can’t believe it

3:25 PM

For Mom: You’re really leaving so soon

3:25 PM

For Mom: My girl...all grown up...

3:26 PM

From Cassandra: It’s just one weekend Mom. I’m not leaving for good yet. Don’t worry, you and Allie are still gonna have me around for another few months

3:40 PM

From Cassandra: I think that might be the part she’s worried about

3:40 PM

From Cassandra: Anyway gtg Mom, gonna pick up her from soccer

3:43 PM

From Mom: See you at home for dinner

* * *

5:24 PM

From Mom: There’s mail for you on the table

6:30 PM

From Mom: Harry…

6:30 PM

From Mom: Did you get my text?

7:20 PM

From Mom: Harry.

7:21 PM

(3 missed calls from Mom)

7:30 PM

From Mom: I don’t know when you’re going to acknowledge this but I know that you’re on your phone right now.

7:30 PM

From Mom: Yale’s not going to wait for an answer forever.

7:31 PM

From Mom: It would be good for you to go

7:31 PM

From Mom: Meet some new people, find out what classes you want to take. This is a good chance for you to get to know where you’re going to be for the next 4 years

7:35 PM

From Harry: So you’re reading my mail now?

7:36 PM

From Mom: Well, I don’t have much of a choice when my son doesn’t want to think about his future or take any of this seriously. You're a smart kid. It shouldn't much to see what a big opportunity this is for you.

7:40 PM

From Harry: You wanted this, not me.

7:41 PM

From Mom: And do you know how many people would kill for what you have? For a spot at Yale? For the chance to leave West Ham?

7:45 PM

From Harry: If this town is so shitty then why do you insist on being the damn mayor of this place? We should've left like Dad did

(Draft saved)

7:41 PM

From Mom: It’s just one weekend, Harry. It’s not like you’re going to be doing anything then.

7:43 PM

From Mom: Please, Harry.

8:30 PM

From Mom: Your father is visiting that weekend.

8:35 PM

From Harry: Fine.

8:36 PM

From Harry: I'll go.

* * *

8:30 AM

From Allie: CASSANDDRRRAAAA

8:30 AM

From Allie: yo

8:30 AM

From Allie: YO

8:30 AM

From Allie: YOOOO

8:31 AM

From Cassandra: Yeah???

8:32 AM

From Allie: Don't forget my sweater

8:32 AM

From Allie: I want a gray one with the big collegiate letters

8:32 AM

From Allie: or a cap 

8:32 AM

From Allie: even better if you can get it from some cute undergrad u hook up with

8:35 AM

From Cassandra: Lol I think we both know that's not going to happen

8:35 AM

From Cassandra: For this weekend at least

8:37 AM

From Allie: <333

* * *

11:29 PM

From Clark: party at my place tom

11:29 PM

From Clark: bring ur own booze

11:35 PM

From Harry: can't man

11:36 PM

From Clark: and why tf not

11:40 PM

From Harry: ....yale admit weekend

11:40 PM

From Harry: my mom's making me go

11:41 PM

From Clark: Dude yale??????

11:45 PM

From Harry: please don't remind me

11:46 PM

From Clark: like yale yale??

11:46 PM

From Clark: r u fucking dumb

11:46 PM

From Clark: don't answer that

11:46 PM

From Clark: you and kelly are off again

11:46 PM

From Clark: yale's gonna be rolling out the red carpet for u guys 

11:46 PM

From Clark: i swear to god bingham u better get high enough out there for the both of us

11:59 PM

From Harry: they can have my mom's money for all i care lol

12:00 AM

From Clark: dude

12:00 AM

From Clark: you are a single eligible bachelor

12:03 AM

From Harry: u know that's redundant right

12:03 AM

From Clark: do nOT pull the smart card on me now mr. i-got-a-1500-on-the-psat

12:03 AM

From Clark: yale orientation

12:03 AM

From Clark: that's like a free pass for the weekend to get as high as you fucking want

12:03 AM

From Clark: no parents

12:03 AM

From Clark: no responsibilities

12:04 AM

From Clark: free alchohol on campus

12:04 AM

From Clark: hot smart OLDER college girls

12:04 AM

From Clark: looking to catch a break during midterms week???

12:05 AM

From Clark: actually scratch that

12:05 AM

From Clark: they're probably too smart to hook up with a dumbass like u

12:05 AM

From Clark: but.....

12:03 AM

From Clark: u know who is going to yale

12:10 AM

From Harry: i'm going to go out on a limb here and say your cousin?

12:10 AM

From Clark: no.

12:10 AM

From Clark: not my cousin

12:10 AM

From Clark: but campbell's

12:10 AM

From Clark: :)

12:11 AM

From Harry: ...

12:11 AM

From Harry: are u kidding

12:11 AM

From Harry: pls say sike

12:11 AM

From Harry: i thought she was going to princeton

12:14 AM

From Clark: how do you not know this

12:14 AM

From Clark: everyone knows this

12:14 AM

From Clark: even _jason and i_ know this

12:14 AM

From Clark: don't you guys keep tabs on each other or some shit like that

12:15 AM

From Harry: fuck mE

12:16 AM

From Clark: well harry my boy, if you're lucky that's exactly what she might do

* * *

12:20 AM

_User: Harry Bingham_

_Are you sure you want to block Clark Beecher?_

_Yes_

**_No_ **

* * *

7:13 AM

From Mom: You have everything you need?

7:13 AM

From Mom: Won't be home for dinner on Sunday. Work trip. But can't wait to hear all about the weekend on Monday :)

7:15 AM

From Harry: I'd really rather not

> * * *

11:23 AM

From Unknown Number: Look up

11:49 AM

From Unknown Number: No way

(Draft saved)

11:49 AM

From Unknown Number: Harry? I could've sworn it was you but I had to check to make sure.

11:50 AM

From Harry: ???

11:50 AM

From Harry: Should I call the campus police

11:51 AM

From Unknown Number: 8 rows behind you, on your left

11:52 AM

From Harry: ofc i know it's u dumbass who else would text me using proper punctuation and capitalization

(Draft saved)

11:52 AM

From Harry: and how could i not know ur number when u kept texting everyone prom committee recruitment messages last year

(Draft saved)

11:52 AM

From Harry: I'm pretty sure stalking is illegal

11:52 AM

From Harry: even in conneticut

11:52 AM

From Harry: ESPECIALLY in conneticut

11:53 AM

From Unknown Number: Very funny

11:53 AM

From Harry: how'd you know it was me

11:53 AM

From Unknown Number: No one does bored and dying to leave as well as you do, Harry

11:55 AM

From Harry: why are you texting me cassandra

11:55 AM

From Unknown Number: I saw a familiar face and I thought I'd text

11:56 AM

From Harry: no but really

11:56 AM

From Harry: ur almost scary love for wmhs aside

11:56 AM

From Harry: why are you texting me

11:56 AM

From Unknown Number: I'm just as surprised to see you as you are to see me

11:56 AM

From Harry: i'm sorry i don't match up to ur expectations of yale

11:57 AM

From Unknown Number: I'm pretty sure you can hear my sighing from here

(Draft saved)

11:58 AM

From Unknown Number: Why do you always think everyone's trying to attack you?

11:58 AM

From Unknown Number: Why do you always think _I'm_ trying to attack you

11:59 AM

From Harry: are you not

12:00 PM

From Unknown Number: No, Harry, I'm really not

12:00 PM

From Unknown Number: And maybe if you actually listened to what I had to say for once maybe you would get that 

(Draft saved)

12:00 PM

From Unknown Number: But if you must know, orientation is fun and all but it's also kind of daunting in its own way

12:00 PM

From Unknown Number: And I thought it would be nice to have a familiar face say hi

12:00 PM

From Unknown Number: For both of us

12:00 PM

From Unknown Number: Not gonna lie, I'm surprised you replied at all

(Draft saved)

* * *

_12:05 PM_

_User: Harry Bingham_

_Save new contact: Cassandra Pressman_

**_Yes_ **

_No_

* * *

12:02 PM

From Cassandra: Did you actually just snort

12:03 PM

From Harry: i'm sorry if i have a bit of a hard time

12:03 PM

From Harry: believing that student body _president_ cassandra pressman is having cold feet at her dream school

12:03 PM

From Harry: when this is probably one of the few places on this earth where everyone else is probably the same amount of

12:03 PM

driven and intelligent

(Draft saved)

12:03 PM

From Harry: uptight and nerdy as her 

12:05 PM

From Cassandra: Dear God

(Draft saved)

12:05 PM

From Cassandra: Considering you're here that makes you a bit of those things as well.

12:10 PM

From Cassandra: Don't worry, I'll leave you to hating on the chancellor's speech again or whatever it was that you were doing before this

* * *

4:45 PM

From Harry: I'm bored out of my mind and I really don't want to talk to any of these nerds

(Draft saved)

4:45 PM

From Harry: the last lecture on roman civilizations was actually interesting but this one is about to bore me to death how do u do it 

4:46 PM

From Cassandra: Yeah?

4:46 PM

From Harry: fuck

(Draft saved) 

4:46 PM

From Harry: it actually sent

(Draft saved)

4:48 PM

From Harry: nothing

4:48 PM

From Harry: you didn't actually see that 

* * *

_8:00 PM_

_User: Harry Bingham_

_You have 1 upcoming event_

_Delta Kappa Epsilon Party_

* * *

8:10 PM

From Allie: Check ur suitcase big sis

8:10 PM

From Cass: ??

8:11 PM

From Allie: i knew u were packing ur soccer mom looks

8:11 PM

From Allie: and there's nothing wrong with that

8:11 PM

From Allie: but i threw in some additional outfits

8:11 PM

From Allie: and some additional things you might need

(Picture attached)

8:11 PM

From Cass: Oh my god allie

* * *

_8:15 PM_

_User: Cassandra Pressman_

_You have 1 upcoming event_

_Delta Kappa Epsilon-Alpha Phi Freshman Mixer_

* * *

10:15 PM

From Harry: kellyyyy

10:20 PM

From Kelly: Harry?

10:20 PM

From Kelly: everything good at yale?

10:25 PM

From Harry: sometimes i think u hate me

(Draft saved)

10:25 PM

From Harry: please don't hate me

(Draft saved)

* * *

11:29 PM

From Clark: party's not the same without u bingham. missing you man!

(Picture attached)

11:29 PM

From Clark: but don't forget to get fucking wasted out there

11:30 PM

From Harry: fuck uuuuu clark

11:30 PM

From Clark: ?????

11:32 PM

From Clark: nice one

11:32 PM

From Clark: enjoy new haven

11:30 PM

From Harry: i hatte alchohhol

* * *

11:39 PM

From Cass: (Picture sent) 

_User @alliepressman replayed the photo_

11:42 PM

From Allie: holy shit cass are u drunk

11:42 PM

From Allie: LOL i knew you'd wear the top

11:42 PM

From Allie: good one allie

11:46 PM

From Allie: wait a minute

11:46 PM

From Allie: is that HARRY BINGHAM IN THE BACK????/?

* * *

_1:30 AM_

_User: Cassandra Pressman_

_You have (5) missed calls from Harry Bingham_

* * *

12:32 AM

From Harry: are u the one i spilled my drink on???????

12:42 AM

From Harry: i spilled my drink on some blond girl with bANGS

12:45 AM

From Harry: idk what i drank but it was pretty good

12:45 AM

From Harry: kinda fruity?????

1:15 AM

From Cassandra: oh God

1:15 AM

From Cassandra: Harry, DON'T MOVE

1:15 AM

From Cassandra: What are u wearing

1:20 AM

From Harry: damnmn pressman

1:20 AM

From Harry: ur kinda hot when ur in control

(Draft saved)

* * *

_1:30 AM_

_User: Harry Bingham_

_You have (10) missed calls from Cassandra Pressman_

* * *

"Harry, are you even trying?" Cassandra grumbled under her breath, readjusting his arm that was slung over shoulder, struggling to walk both of them towards her designated dorm room for the weekend.

"Funny, my mom used to say the same thing," he murmured under his breath and chuckled. His weight did not lighten. 

When she had found him, he'd been lying on some couch in the corner of the fraternity house with his eyes about to shut. Some guy in a plaid shirt was uncapping a marker when she neared, obvious that he was going to draw a dick on his face or something equally stupid. She rolled her eyes. 

They'd already passed the strip of Greek houses awhile ago. It wouldn't be long before they got back to their designated housing and then she just needed to get him to sober up enough to get him back to his room. This probably wasn't was Allie had in mind when she mentioned bringing a Yale guy back to her room. It sure as hell wasn't what Cassandra had in mind either. 

The pale colonial building came into view and she breathed a sigh of relief, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

She all but dumped him onto her bed when they got back to her room. Rachelle, her roommate for the weekend, turned around at the sound.

Her eyebrows rose, "Yeah, I can go--"

Cassandra froze, suddenly very aware of what this could look like to someone who didn't know her and more importantly, didn't understand the nature of the strange relationship between one Cassandra Pressman and one Harry Bingham, one which neither of them fully understood either at times if they were being completely honest. 

"No, _no_ ," Cassandra started but her roommate was already walking out the door, backpack slung over her shoulder.

"I'll be back tomorrow," she said on her way out and Cassandra remembered that Rachelle said her girlfriend was staying a few doors away from them.

"Nice place you've got here," Harry commented from his spot on her bed where he was splayed out. For all the times he'd baited her and irritated her and outright snarked in her face all these years, she'd never wanted to slap him as much as she did in that moment. 

She grabbed a cup of water and handed it to him, the other hand on her hip.

"Drink," she instructed. Balls to the wall plastered as he was, he was still her classmate and student body presidency aside, she'd never forgive herself if something happened to him when she could've done something. And she knew that if he knew that, it would piss him off even more than if she left him out in the quad to freeze to death. 

"Yes, ma'am," he sighed, downing it easily. He made a face, "That's not vodka."

Cassandra fought the urge to roll her eyes. 

Harry was a strange one, for lack of a better word. At worst, he could come off as selfish and narcissistic. In a slightly more forgiving light, he was arrogant and aloof and didn't seem to give two shits about anyone outside his small circle of friends, but she always wondered if there was more to it. She knew enough about their small town and the people in it to know that there usually was. In the eighth grade, she remembered seeing him in the library. He was completely engrossed in Harry Potter of all things, reading it in a sequestered corner so dark Mrs. Packer, the librarian, warned him that he was going to get glasses if he didn't watch it. She remembered that day so clearly, coming home from junior debate practice, because it was such an absurd sight that it didn't seem plausible by any means. Sure, she loved Harry Potter like any kid did, but Mrs. Packer had mentioned to her that he _loved_ the series when she'd asked.

"You know, I think you two could be friends," the librarian had said in passing. "You have very similar taste in books. And that says a lot about a person."

She wondered what Mrs. Packer, may her soul rest in peace, would make of this situation. Harry Bingham ruining her pre-freshman orientation just as the cute marine biology major from Vermont was about to give her his number. Fantastic. 

She hadn't managed to catch his name over the roar of Drake and Lorde remixes but she was pretty sure it was something like Parker or something equally pedigreed and so typically Yale. They hadn't talked for that long, more caught up in swaying to the beat of the music, hips pressed together and alchohol roaring in her ears, but _God_ it had felt good. For once she could be just Cassandra--not Cassandra Pressman, student body president and debate club president and Most Likely to Succeed, whatever that even fucking meant. She wasn't even Allie's sister or the Pressman household's default second-in-command in that moment, she'd just been an incoming freshman letting herself be. 

Who cares if she was slightly disappointed that she hadn't gleaned anything from her conversation from Parker. It had been exactly five minutes so she hadn't been expecting anything groundbreaking. She had to the next 4 years for new faces and hopefully boys who were more mature than those from high school. She didn't understand how some couples from West Ham had stayed together all these years. Helena and Luke had practically been glued to each other since the 9th grade after he'd asked her to spring formal and the rest was history.

She and Helena ran in some of the same circles, had overlapping Honors classes and some shared activities, but they weren't particularly close. They probably could have been and the opportunities for it had been there but they had honestly just never gone beyond small talk in between all those things. 

Luke was a nice guy, sure, and he was the sweetest of anyone on the football team next to Grizz, but she'd always thought privately that Helena was solar systems out of his league, something she'd never say to the girl's face. Maybe love was enough. Maybe they'd break up after high school. Part of her hoped it was the former. 

"What's your major?" Cassandra wondered out loud, surprising herself as well with the question.

Harry looked up from her pillow. "What?"

The boy on her bed didn't say anything after a few minutes so she assumed the last of the alchohol had finally kicked in and he'd fallen asleep. She was starting to feel the effects of one too many mixed shooters and plopped herself down on the desk chair.

There was a ruffle and then very quietly, so softly she wouldn't have heard it if she wasn't listening carefully: "English."

Cassandra hold back a laugh because that would be _fucking rude_ , but it was going to be more of a laugh of disbelief than anything. Harry Bingham, English major at Yale. Who would've thought. 

"I never would've pegged you as an English major," she said simply and he rose his eyebrows at her.

"Political Science. Pre-law," she paused, looking up to admire the cold breeze frosting on her bedside window. "And probably a minor in Literature. But I'm not sure yet."

"Relax. Respond. That's what people do. You can't go through life questioning your situation at every turn."

She chuckled. "Rosencratz and Guildenstern. Spoken like a true English major. It's actually not that surprising."

"So you've been keeping tabs on me?"

Clark's message suddenly flashed in his mind and he swatted the thought away, determined to prove the dumbass wrong. They did not keep _tabs_ on each other. He couldn't speak for Cassandra but he definitely did not keep tabs on her. How the hell was he supposed to know that she was going to be the lead in the school play the very same time their guidance counselor made him sign up for the play? It's like the universe wanted him to implode by constantly bringing them together when it was obvious that they shouldn't be any nearer than 10 feet away from each other at all times. Everything he knew about her was unintentional or revealed to him through years of coincidences. 

The way she maintained her composure even when she was under immense pressure and she never had a stray hair out of place. The way she never rose to the bait and brushed him off coolly at most. The way she was tipsy and could still manage to carry him to her room and look at him like he was a complete idiot. The way that her eyes were almost liquid sapphire this close in the shitty dorm lighting.

"You're a smart guy," she said. "You just stopped trying a long time ago and now you don't give a rat's ass about anything other than yourself."

"Don't, Cassandra," he says, his voice dropping so low that she feels it in her stomach. "Don't do that. Don't act like you know me."

"I'm not trying to fight you, Harry." She's said this all before, but it gets exhausting to repeat it to him every time. "I know you don't like me. But I've honestly just stopped trying to figure out why."

"That's what this whole place is, it's gonna be four years of people who think they're superior," Harry burst out. "Just like you do."

"Oh my God, you have got to let that _go_. You are the _only_ person who thinks that."

At some point both of them had stood up. Harry had his arms crossed over his chest, the first few buttons of his shirt coming undone. She could glimpse pale skin and a smattering of freckles. She stood across him, mirroring his stance as she leaned against the doorway.

"I know you'll never say it out loud," he says. "Because you're too good for that. But deep down I know you think it."

"You're drunk, Harry," she crossed her arms over his chest. "And frankly this is even more tiring than when you're sober."

"So are you, Cassandra. But that's always the story with you, isn't it? You're on the same boat as the rest of us but you always act like you're sailing on the fucking Titanic."

"We all know how that turned out," Cassandra snorted, pushing herself off the doorframe and stepping closer to him. "Why do you always have to make it so hard for everyone?"

"Why do you always act like you're better than me?" he shot back.

"I _don't_ ," she spat, low and decisive. "I don't act like I'm better than you."

"You probably think I don't belong here."

Cassandra shook her head and scoffed, "Is this what this is really about, Harry?"

"I don't want the same things you do. Don't you think there's a reason for that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." 

"Do you think I want that reminder hanging over my head everyday for the next four years? That I'm here not because I deserve it but because my parents bought my way in?""

She shook her head. "Don't play that card, Harry. Put the pieces together; you could if you really wanted to. You were probably the only other kid in school who spent as much time in the library as me. Mrs. Packer liked you. You were in Model UN and soccer JV. You almost fucking ran for _Key Club_ when we were freshmen."

He snorted, "I'm sorry we didn't end up as perfect as you, Cassandra."

"Well Harry, some of our dads aren't here either anymore but some of us didn't end up acting like the world owed us because of it!"

Harry reeled back like he'd been slapped. The room stilled and suddenly the buzz of alchohol was gone and the the gravity of what she'd said came crashing down on her completely.

A moment passed without Harry saying anything, and the room went so quiet neither of them could hear anything except the other's breathing, the slow rise and fall of their chests carrying the conversation. 

Cassandra pinched the bridge of her nose and shut her eyes. "Fuck," she breathed, turning back around to face him. "Fuck fuck fuck _fuck_."

"You don't get to say that, _Cassandra_ ," he said, so much venom in her name that she took a step back. "Your dad was a fireman who died a hero's death saving other people and you get to keep that as your last memory of him before your mom remarried. My dad ran away because he couldn't take me and my mom anymore and frankly, I would've too. _We are not the same_."

"Harry," she said softly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I'm drunk and that's not even as excuse but that was uncalled for and completely inappropriate."

Few people had ever seen her like this before, stripped of formalities and titles. She wasn't drunk, but the world was swaying more than usual and her senses had dulled significantly so she must have been close. 

He took a step closer. Cassandra could glimpse a whiff of his cologne mixed together with the sharp smell of the party lingering on him.

He wagged his finger in front of her, his stance wavering and revealing that he had probably ingested more alchohol than he should have at the dinner. 

"Then what is it like, _Cassandra,_ " he hissed, eyes lowered to her. His eyes were wild, lit with something stronger than hate and burning like the sensation in her stomach.

"Why the fuck do you keep saying my name, Harry," she murmured.

"Because you've been saying mine for way too long," he replied and pushed his mouth to hers. 

* * *

"I hate you," he hissed, pressing the words against her mouth, her throat, her collarbones, her waist, her thighs.

"No, you're just mad that I don't hate you," she murmured, pushing their hands together before sinking her teeth into his skin. 

* * *

_5:45 AM_

_User: Cassandra Pressman_

_You have (16) new messages from Allie Pressman_

* * *

7:20 AM

From Cassandra: Harry.

(Draft saved)

7:20 AM

From Cassandra: Harry...

(Draft saved)

7:48 AM

From Cassandra: ~~Congratulations I don't actually know what to say~~

(Draft saved)

10:10 AM

From Cassandra: You left your wallet. I can give it back on the bus home.

11:30 AM

From Harry: ~~i'm glad i left first this morning~~

(Draft saved)

11:30 AM

From Harry: get out of my head cassandra

(Draft saved)

* * *

Cassandra passed him his wallet on the bus before they left Yale. As she reached for her bag, he saw a flash of blotched skin on her neck, marked by the night before. She caught him staring at the mark and pushed her hair to cover it.

"Thanks," he said. 

They sat on opposite ends of the bus on the 6 hour ride back to West Ham. He considered blocking her phone number, but then that would mean that he cared. Which he definitely did not.

* * *

7:30 PM

From Cassandra: Mom if you see this, please come back home

7:30 PM

From Cassandra: Allie needs you

7:30 PM

From Cassandra: I need you

* * *

8:15 PM

From Harry: Mom where did you guys go

11:11 PM

From Harry: i don't know where anyone is or what's real anymore

11:11 PM

From Harry: and that scares the fuck out of me

11:11 PM

From: I wish Dad had disappeared instead of you

11:11 PM

From: because he already did

11:30 PM

From Harry: I'm sorry

11:30 PM

From Harry: for everything.

* * *

> _“We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered.”_
> 
> _\- Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead_

**Author's Note:**

> now go rewatch all their encounters again and project meaning onto it with me
> 
> also, sorry not sorry for the excessive use of rosencrantz and guildenstern


End file.
